Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a procedure for treating heart disease. A catheter assembly having a balloon portion is introduced percutaneously into the cardiovascular system of a patient via the brachial or femoral artery. The catheter assembly is advanced through the coronary vasculature until the balloon portion is positioned across the occlusive lesion. Once in position across the lesion, the balloon is inflated to a predetermined size to radially compress the atherosclerotic plaque of the lesion to remodel the lumen wall. The balloon is then deflated to a smaller profile to allow the catheter to be withdrawn from the patient's vasculature.
Problems associated with the above procedure include formation of intimal flaps or torn arterial linings which can collapse and occlude the blood conduit after the balloon is deflated. Moreover, thrombosis and restenosis of the artery may develop over several months after the procedure, which may require another angioplasty procedure or a surgical by-pass operation. To reduce the partial or total occlusion of the artery by the collapse of the arterial lining and to reduce the chance of thrombosis or restenosis, a stent is implanted in the artery to keep the artery open.
Drug eluting stents have reduced the incidence of in-stent restenosis (ISR) after PCI (see, e.g., Serruys, P. W., et al., J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. 39:393-399 (2002)), which has plagued interventional cardiology for more than a decade. However, a few challenges remain in the art of drug eluting stents. For example, compromised coating integrity when an amorphous bioabsorbable polymer is used for coating a stent, which can result from the conditions of ethylene oxide (ETO) sterilization or from the conditions of crimping a stent onto the delivery balloon. Conditions such as elevated temperature, high relative humidity, and high concentration of ETO in the ETO sterilization process can result in plasticization and adhesion of the coating to the balloon via polymer deformation and flow. In a similar way, a completely amorphous bioabsorbable polymer may flow when crimped at temperatures above the polymer glass transition temperature (Tg) on to the delivery balloon.
Aliphatic polyesters are used in pharmaceutical and biomedical applications, including for example surgical sutures and drug delivery systems. Poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) is one of the most widely studied polymer biomaterials, attractive for its biodegradable and biocompatible properties. However, PLLA is not ideally suited for many aspects of drug delivery systems, including those involving drug-eluting stents. Issues of L-lactide based drug delivery stent systems include compromised mechanical properties after the fabrication process and deployment of such systems, and a sometimes relatively long absorption period.
The embodiments of the present invention address the above-identified needs and issues.